Complex Marital Estates

The Denver Area Family Law Attorneys at Plog & Stein Handle Division of Complex Marital Estates

The average age at which a person gets married for the first time has been increasing in recent years, and most people who enter into second or third marriages are further along in life as well. This means that many upper-middle class and wealthy individuals enter into marriages holding significant assets. Once a person marries, however, their property may become commingled with their partner's property. Even when a prenuptial agreement is involved, it can be difficult to know how much of any asset is considered separate or marital property when two people start divorce proceedings. Our Denver complex marital estate lawyers at Plog & Stein, P.C. are experienced advocates for clients with complex marital estates, and can help you make your case for a fair and reasonable distribution of assets.

Need help with a divorce involving a complex marital estate? Call us at (303) 781-0322 to speak with an attorney for free or to schedule your consultation session!

Dividing Marital Property Under Colorado Law

Colorado courts divide marital property "equitably" during a divorce, but separate property usually stays with its original owner. "Equitable division" does not mean that marital property is always divided 50-50 in Colorado, as it is in some states. Rather, the goal is to divide a couple's marital property fairly.

Since it is only marital assets that are subject to a court's allocation in divorce proceedings, it is important to determine whether any property that may appear to be marital property is actually separate property. Separate property is property that a spouse brought into a marriage, or that was acquired via inheritance or gift meant solely for a single spouse. Aside from assisting clients in identifying the nature of their property, our attorneys can also help people strategically plan to protect their assets, even prior to divorce coming into the picture. Intricacies can come with high dollar cases. A complex marital estate attorney in the Denver area should understand aspects of dividing assets in these types of matters.

Characterizing Assets

Property owners with significant assets such as pensions, small businesses, retirement funds, investment properties, or "goodwill" may have more complex marital estates. A key aspect of dealing with complex marital estates is determining exactly what portion is marital property, identifying any separate property that should stay with the original owner, and determining ways to protect those assets. The divorce attorneys at Plog & Stein have significant experience identifying, valuing, and dividing marital assets.

We can assist with obtaining proper valuations of various assets, including, but not limited to:

Business interests, including "goodwill"

Retirement accounts, including pensions and 401(k) accounts

Financial investments

Real property, including residential, commercial, and agricultural

We can also assess an individual's interest in trust assets, as well as intellectual properties such as copyrights, patents, and trademarks. In order to make sure that our work is as accurate as possible, we may work closely with trustworthy professionals such as forensic accountants, appraisers, estate planners, and tax advisers. Property division may dramatically impact each party's future wealth during a divorce. Therefore, it is crucial for Denver residents to retain complex marital estate lawyers and experts with experience in this area.

Suspect Your Spouse Has Concealed Assets?

At the outset of every divorce case, Colorado law (C.R.S. 14-10-107) puts into place an injunction prohibiting spouses from hiding, concealing, encumbering or depleting marital assets while the case is pending. You can, of course, purchase necessities or conduct business in an ordinary manner. However, you cannot take all the money out of your 401(k) or place an extra mortgage on your house. Both parties must disclose their financial position to the other side during the divorce, as well as report any transfers of marital assets which occur.

If you believe your spouse has concealed assets or depleted an account without your consent, our knowledgeable attorneys can investigate and make the court aware of these prohibited actions. The court may award you your share of any funds that have been dissipated by your spouse. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 16.2, also authorizes the court to deal with undisclosed assets in some situations for up to 5 years after the divorce is concluded.

At Plog & Stein, P.C., we understand how important your assets are to you and how hard you've worked to acquire them. If you have a complex marital estate, our attorneys will be both analytical and methodical so that we can make sure property is allocated to you fairly under the law.

His passion and ferocity kept me going through this long ordeal.When I first came to Plog & Stein it was simply discuss the renegotiation of child support. Little did I know that within 72 hours I would be retaining Steve Plog for a custody battle. His passion and ferocity kept me going through this long ordeal. I have recommended him to my friends and I would recommend him to anyone with who wants honest and effective representation. Carolyn

★★★★★

I recommend Sarah and the attorneys at Plog & Stein to anyone that has these types of family issues and need strong, knowledgeable representation.I am thankful for the job Sarah McCain did for me in my fight with my ex-wife for visitation rights with my daughter. Sarah and the team at Plog & Stein handled my case in an efficient, affordable, and professional manner. Sarah negotiated a new parenting plan as well as acceptable visiting rights and even a favorable modification in my child support. I recommend Sarah and the attorneys at Plog & Stein to anyone that has these types of family issues and need strong, knowledgeable representation. Tom

★★★★★

At the end of the day he was able to produce a settlement that was fair to both parties.I highly recommend Stephen Plog for anyone in need of a top notch domestic relations attorney. After a 27 year marriage, Stephen represented me in a complicated and sometimes bitter divorce with many unique challenges. At the end of the day he was able to produce a settlement that was fair to both parties but limited my alimony payments to only 3 years. He is smart, cuts to the chase, knows the court system in the Denver metropolitan area and can be trusted to get his clients the best possible settlement. Neal

★★★★★

Their service was outstanding, with prompt responses to all of my questions.Sarah McCain and Plog & Stein were wonderful to me during such a difficult time in my life. Their service was outstanding, with prompt responses to all of my questions and creative ideas throughout the proceedings to help things go smoothly. Sarah's compassion, patience, and expertise were especially invaluable to me. I highly recommend them. Sandy

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We serve clients throughout the State of Colorado including, but not limited to, those in the following localities: Denver County including Denver; Arapahoe County including Aurora, Centennial, Greenwood Village, and Littleton; Broomfield County; Douglas County including Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, and Franktown; Jefferson County including Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and Golden; Adams County including Brighton, Westminster, Northglenn, and Thornton; Boulder County; Elbert County including Elizabeth and Kiowa; El Paso County; Weld County; Larimer County.